Clutch



Feb. 16, 1932. j, J HN N 1,845,667

CLUTCH Filed Nov. 30. .1927

Patented Feb. 16, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CHARLES A. JOHNSON,OF UNIONVILLE, CONNECTICUT CLUTCH Application filed November 80, 1927.Serial No. 286,841.

tion and in the construction and use of which the objects herein setout, as well as others, may be attained, is illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side view of a bit stockequipped with my improved clutch.

Figure 2 is a view, scale enlarged, partially in lengthwise sectionthrough the head of a bit stock illustrating my improved clutch asembodied in a tool of this class.

Figure 3 is an end view of the structure shown in Figure 2.

Figure 1 is a view in section on a plane denoted by the dotted line 4-4:of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a similar view on a plane denoted by the dotted line 5-5 ofFigure 2.

Figure 6 is a view in cross section of a fragment of the structureillustrating the pawls in position to rotate the driven member in onedirection only.

Figure 7 is a view similar to Figure 6, but illustrating the pawls inposition to rotate the driven member in the opposite direction from thatillustrated in Figure 6.

My invention is not limited in its application to a mechanism of anyparticular charactor, as it may be applied to various structures for thepin-pose of locking two members to effect a rigid connection forsimultaneous movement of both in opposite directions, or variedconnections to effect simultaneous rotation of said members in onedirection and independent rotation of one of said members in theopposite direction, or vice versa. These conditions are found in a bitstock as one of many mechanisms in which they are present, and for thisreason such bit stock has been selected by me for the purpose ofdisclosing my invention herein.

In the accompanying drawings the numeral 8 denotes the handle or crankportion of a bit stock, 9 the button and 10 the head thereof whichparts, with the exception of the head, may be of ordinary construction.Thehead has a chamber llcxtending inwardly from one end nearly to theopposite end thereof with a hole 12 extending through the bottom of thechamber and terminating in a recess 13. The wall of the chamber 11 isprovided with ratchet teeth 14: each extending for a H considerableportion of the length of the chamber and the series of teeth extendingentirely around it.

The shank 15 of a chuck body extends through the head 10 and isrotatably attached to said head as by means of a nut 16 located in therecess 13 and engaged with the screw threaded tip of said shank. Thechuck body is provided at its outer end with chuck jaws 17 and anoperating sleeve 18 which jaws and sleeve may be of any ordinary andwell known construction and for which reason a further and detaileddescription is omitted herein.

The shank 15 of the chuck body is provided with pawl recesses 19, two innumber, in which pawls 20 are located, the recesses in cross sectionbeing formed on the arc of a circle and the pawls in cross section beingsubstantially half of a round piece of material, and as shown in Figs. 4to 7 of the drawings. Each pawl is notched on one side to receive theend of a pawl spring 21, said spring being located in a groove 22extending around the shank 15, and opposite ends of said spring beinglocated each in a notch in one of the pawls 20. Each end of the springpresses against a pawl tooth on one side of the axial center thereof,causing said pawls to be rocked so that their toothed edges 23 undercertain conditions, will. actively engage the ratchet teeth 14, and asshown in Fig. 5 of the drawings. That side of each pawl which is engagedby the spring is termed the inactive side to distinguish it from theopposite and active side which bears the tooth to actively eflectrot-ation of the shank 15.

A setting ring 24 is rotatably mounted in a groove formed between ashoulder 25 on the shank 15 and the end of the head 10, and as shown inFig. 2 of the drawings. This setting ring has a controlling notch 26 inone side of a width to receive the toothed edges 23 of the pawls 20,which toothed edges will be rocked into said notch by the action of 5the spring 21 whenever said notch is located opposite said toothededges, either or both, in the rotation of the ring 24.

In the operation of the device when the ring 24 is in the position shownin Fig. 4, the spring 21 will force the toothed edges 23 of the 'detentsinto engagement with the ratchet teeth 14 and as shown in Fig. 5, with aresult that rotation of the head will cause the shank to be rotated withsaidheadirrespective of its direction of rotation. If the ring 24 berotated to the position shown in Fig. 6 the pawl on theright will belocated with its toothed edge in position to engage, the ratchet teeth14 and a rotation of the head 10 to the right or in a clockwisedirection will cause the shank 15, and consequently the chuck, to berotated in that direction. A movement of the head 10, however, in areverse or letthand direction will cause rotation of said headindependently of the shank 15.

If thering 24v be turned to the position shown in Fig. 7, the other pawlopposite that just mentioned will be located as shown in Fig. 7 with itstoothed edge in position to engage the ratchet teeth 14 and rotation ofthe head 10 in a contra-clockwise direction or tothe left will effectrotation of the shank 15 in the same direction, but a reverse movementof the head 10 will be independently of the shank 15. Inthis reverse orindependent movement in either direction, as just described the pawlthat has its toothed edge located in the notch 26 will rock in and out,being forced out by the teeth 14 and in by the end of the spring 21,this toothed edge thus riding over the teeth 14.

In order to retain the ring 24 in its difterent positions to eflect theresults hereinabove described, a yielding detent is provided, locatedeither on the shank member 15 or ring member 24 to engage withinretaining notches in the other member. In the structure herein shownthis-detent 27 is carried by the-shank 15 to engage retaining notches 28in the ring 24, said detent being held by a spring 29 to yieldinglyengage thenotches so that .a little force applied to the ring 24 to turnit will cause said detent to be disengaged from the notch in which itmay be located.

A hole 3.0 may be formed in the nut 16 and head 10 for the insertion ofa tool to enable the nut 'to be turned by the handle 8 to loosen it onthe threaded end of the shank.

The greater the force applied to the pawls by the head member 10 themore tightly will such pawls engage said head and the shank member 15.,and such pawls therefore act as struts aiiiording a very rigidconnection between said members on that side on which the pawls arelocated and pressing said members into close contact on the oppositeside thereof, thereby providing a very rigid structure comprising saidmembers when in operation.

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes I havedescribed the principles of operation of my invention, together with thedevice which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof;but I desire to have it understood that the device shown is onlyillustrative and that the invention may be carried out by other meansand applied to uses other than those above set out.

1. A clutch including a head containing a chamber having ratchet-teethon its inner surface, a shank extending into said chamber and havinglongitudinally extendingand laterally opening curved pawl seats locatedat their ends outside of the head, a pair of pawls each half roundrockably mounted through.- out their entire lengths in said seats andhaving edges to engage said ratchetteeth, asetting member rotatablymounted on said shank between opposed shoulders on said head shank,means on said setting member to operate said pawls to rigidly connectsaid head and shank to. prevent rotation of one independently of theother, or to effect a rigid connection for rotation of the shankineither one of two opposite directions only'and means for engaging theinactive edges of sa-id'pawls for rocking the latter in a directionopposite to that caused by thesetting member.

2. A clutch including a driving member and a driven member, said drivingmember including a chamber formed "with teeth on the wall thereof, saiddriven member having longitudinally extending and laterally open-' 105ing curved seats in its periphery, and half round pawls rockablethroughout their entire lengths in said seats and adapted to selectivelyengage the teeth formed in said chamber.

3. A clutch including a driving member having a chamber therein withratchet teeth on the wall thereof, a driven member extending into saidchamber and having longitudinally-extending and laterally opening curvedseats located on one side of the driven mempawls against the tension ofsaid spring.

4. A clutch including a head containing a chamber and a shank extendinginto said chamber, one of said members having ratchet teeth on itssurface and the other having longitudinally extending andlaterallyopening curved pawl seats, a pair of pawls each half roundrock-ably mounted throughout their entire lengths in said seats andhaving their ends located outside of the end of said head and theiredges located to engage said ratchet teeth, a setting member rotatablymounted 011 said shank between opposite shoulders on said head andshank, means on said setting member to operate said pawls to rigidlyconnect said head and shank to prevent rotation of one independently ofthe other, or to effect a rigid connection for rotation of the shank ineither one of two directions only, and means for engaging the inactivesides of said pawls for rocking the latter in a direction opposite thatcaused by the setting member.

A bit stock including a shank having a shoulder and pawl recesses ofhalf round shape in its periphery and with a detent recess locatedopposite said pawl recesses, pawls of half round shape located in saidpawl recesses, a spring pressed detent located in said detent recess, asetting member rotatably mounted on said shank against said shoulder andhaving a pawl setting member and detent receiving notches extendingtherethrough, a head having a chamber within which. said shank and pawlsare received, said chamber having ratchet teeth extending so along itsinner surface for engagement by said pawls, and means for rotatablyattaching said head to said shank.

CHARLES A. JOHNSON.

